The Washington critic., 1887-11-10
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

lOI lUD w lAu Dhls
Says a Washington special to the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette: Com
missioner Morrison Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, being asked
what his opinion was about the con-
firmation of Secretary Lamar to flll the
vacancy Or the Supreme Bench, said:
II cannot tell. am not q Senator.
I tried TO get there once and failed"
Some who recall how the Senate 70.
jected Caleb Gushing and Attorney.
General Williams for the Office now
held by Chief Justice Waite, feel sure
that the present Senate, led by the
present Judiciary Committee, with
Edmunds at its head, will, as Repub.
licans, find far more serious objections
to Lamar than they found to Mr..
Gushing. Because Mr.. Lamar was
confirmed by the Senate as Secretary
OF the Interior, 1t does not follow, the
skeptics say, that he would be accepted
for the office Of Justice of the Su
preme Court of the United States.
Caleb Cushing's appointment as Min.
lister to Spain was ratified by the same
Senate which rejected him for the
Supreme Court.
"a
Gen. John A. Halderman, of ST.
Louis and Kansas, formerly Minister
TO Slam, Is recognized authority upon
everything relating to the diplomatic
and consular places In the far East.
Speaking the other day to the Wash
ington correspondent of the st. Louis
Republican about the appointment of
MIR. Alex. r. Webb, of St. Louis, as q
consul to Manila, he said that 1t was
very charming place to live In. He
felt quite sure Mr.. Webb would be well
pleased with his post, as 1t was an in.
terestipg country and not at all un,
healthy. 1t is one of the Spanish de.
pendencies, and he says the Spanish
language is generally spoken by all of
the people In and about Manila. A
former incumbent of the consulate,
Gen. Halderman says, told him on one
occasion that about the only
fault there was TO find with the
post was the rather dlsagreeable
frequency of earthquakes. He
said that they had earthquakes
for breakfast, earthquakes again at
tiffin and earthquakes once more for
dinner. The gentleman added, how
ever that he had always occupied one.
story house, built of wood entirely, so
that the earthquakes gave him no an
noyance and he was never troubled by
little shaking. Manila is right In the
cradle, also, General Halderman says.
OF the great typhoons that sweep over
that part of the world, but there have
been no serious disasters for many
years, and he Is sure these possible oc.
currences will not disturb Mr.. Webb
any more than people Of the Missis
sippi valley are alarmed by the chances
Of cyclones there.
-.
One would hardly think to see Mr..
Bancroft on horseback that he had
passed his eighty.seventh year. He is
still active and able to take his usual
exercise. He attributes his good health
TO his regular habits. Mr.. Bancroft Is
q believer In system, and has q certain
number of hours allotted to each kind
of special work upon which he Is en-
gagged. Few have any idea how, by
being methodical, Mr.. Bancroft can
get tnrough win an amount or Dusi-
ness that would seem incredible to the
uninitiated. Every day he devotes
several hours to labor on his history of
the United States, either In preparation
of new matter or the revision of proofs.
If Mr.. Bancroft's health and strength
continue, he will possibly en-.
gage in other literary work
during the next year. Ills con.
slant companion on horseback
travels over the country surrounding
Washington, Is Mr.. Spofford, the well
known Librarian of Congress. They
may be seen together almost every
afternoon, and on Sundays they ride
over twenty miles, thinking nothing of
trot to Great Falls and back, q distance
of forty miles. Secretary Bayard some.
times accompanies them. but the his.
torian and the librarian are firm friends
and find much pleasure and mutual
profit In each others company.